I want to lift my 2004 QC 2500 CTD automatic, but looking for some input from those out there that have already done it.

I have a lot of things I want to do to the truck, but some of it I don't know much about. I have the wheels and tires I want narrowed down to a few choices:

I want to put it on 37" tires and 20" wheels. I don't how much lift I'm going to need to clear them well and look good. I'd like to keep total lift no more than 9" and would prefer not to have to cut the body (if that's not enough lift for 37" tires, then I'll go smaller on the tires). Also, is it better to get all your lift with suspension, or is a combination of suspension and body lift best? Recommended brand lift kits?

Right now I was thinking something along the lines of Fabtech or Pro Comp 5" or 6" suspension and 3" body lift. If I could get away with just the suspension without the body lift, that's all the better. However, I would prefer not to exceed 6" on the suspension lift...I do have to drive this thing daily.


As far as tires go, I'm hoping someone here has the following, or has driven trucks with them:

Nitto Terra Grapplers
Nitto Mud Grapplers (their new style ones)
Pro Comp X-Terrain
Pro Comp Xtreme AT

I'm moving to PA in a few months, so the truck will see some mud/ice/snow and hunting trips, but most driving will be street. I know offroad type tires will "sing" on the road, but I also know that some of the newer style ones aren't too bad (I definitely do NOT want Interco Ground Hawgs or anything like that). Right now, I really like the Nitto Mud Grapplers best, but curious as to how loud on the street they are. Second pick would be one of the Pro Comp tires.

I'm also looking at the "Road Armor" bumpers. There was another company "Offroadalloys.com" that had a wicked looking bumper setup (albeit horrendously expensive), but apparently they are out of business (their webpage ain't there anymore). Anyone have a Road Armor bumper? Thoughts on it?

I'd also like to add one of the diesel tuner boxes to get a little more power/torque. I'm not interested in spending huge $$$ to beef the transmission or transfer case or rear end, so curious as to what you would recommend as the limits that is decent and safe for stock drive train?

Lastly (I promise) which winch do you guys recommend? I'm figuring I'd probably want 10,000 lb pull or better with this beast...or maybe not?


Thanks for your time and input!

 

I clear 35's no problem with a levelling kit, so I suspect 4" of lift would be plenty to clear your 37's. Fabtech makes nice stuff at a good price, I'd look to them first. I'm a big opponent of body lifts - there are only very few case where I think they're the right thing to do. For what you're doing, you won't need it, so skip the body lift for sure. Make sure to consider gear ratio also when thinking about putting a tire that size on - you'll want to go to a 4.10 or something to keep the final drive close to stock. I've not used the Nitto Mud Terrains myself, but I've seen them offroad and they do quite well. If you're willing to live with the noise of a mud terrain tire, you can't really go wrong with either of the choices you listed. I also feel obligated to put in a plug for Toyo's Open Country M/T as that's what I run - I love 'em.

As far as bumpers, the Road Armor stuff is really nice. Again, never bought it myself (too heavy for my tastes), but I've seen it several times and the quality looks very good. I've only ever used WARN winches but never let them down. I would highly recommend going with a 12,500lb winch for a truck our size. I also recommend electric over hydraulic because you can ALWAYS get battery power, not necessarily the case with hydraulic power.


Finally, I'd be wary of doing any motor work without doing tranny work. Especially since you're upgrading to bigger tires, you're already going to be putting more stress on the transmission. To do it right, you should do the tranny work FIRST, then do the motor. Not as fun, but less expensive and more satisfying in the long run.

Good luck!